A piece of Moose Jaws infrastructure that has quietly served the community for more than six decades is about to give way to a new facility designed to carry the city’s wastewater system into the future. City officials and project partners gathered Thursday for the sod turning of the new Crescent View Headworks Facility, marking the formal start of construction on one of the largest infrastructure projects in Moose Jaw’s history.
The new facility will replace the existing Crescent View Lift Station, which opened in 1961 and has now exceeded its expected service life. The lift station is a critical but largely unseen part of the city’s infrastructure, being the first stop in receiving wastewater from homes and businesses before it continues through the treatment system.
“A project like this is monumental for the City of Moose Jaw, this is going to allow continued growth and prosperity for the community for the coming decades and generations. Not only on a residential scheme of things, but also on development and building for commercial space,” said Mayor James Murdock. The replacement facility is being built adjacent to the existing lift station and is expected to be completed in 2029.
The new building will be constructed above regional flood elevation, helping reduce risks associated with flooding and major weather events. The project will also be more ‘energy efficient’ including; high-efficiency pumps and motors, fine screening and grit removal systems, a septage receiving station, a bulk water station and two standby generators. These improvements are intended to provide greater reliability while increasing the system’s ability to handle wastewater flows as Moose Jaw grows. “This is key for the community for expansion, plain and simple,” Murdock states.
The city states the new facility will support a population of up to 45,000 with the possibility of future expansion, accommodating up to 60,000 residents. The project comes with a significant price tag, estimated at $73 million over a build span of 3 years. Majority of the funding comes from the city, with additional support from provincial and federal infrastructure programs such as the Canada Community-Building Fund which has provided more than $9.7 million towards the project. City council approved borrowing $30 million over a 15-year span in March 2026 to help finance the construction. Westridge Construction Ltd. was awarded the contract to build the new facility.
While wastewater infrastructure may not attract the same attention as a new arena, road or public building, it can be described as an investment to a reliable and resilient fundamental service. Thursday’s sod turning will mark the beginning of that investment and the first formal step toward replacing a facility that has served Moose Jaw since 1961, providing infrastructure designed to serve the community for decades to come.
By Becca Rensby
Moose Jaw Express
